Nail set or center punch



A. HANLEY.

NAIL SET 0R CENTER PUNCH. APPLICATION FILED D EC.6, 1921.

1,409,711". Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

' Z g g/am 4 INVENTOR BY Alfred nle y t MWA ORNEYS.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HANLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

NAIL SET 03 CENTER PUNCH.

Application filed December 6, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALFRED T'TANLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at 110 est 12th Street, New York, N. Y., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nail Sets or Center Punches, of which the following is a clear, full, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to tools and particularly to tools of the class exemplified by nail sets and center punches, the invention being herein shown as embodied in a nail set or in a center punch. It will be understood, however, that certain features of the invention are of utility in other tools than those herein specifically illustrated and described. I I

Nail sets or center punches as now usually constructed comprise a stem of substantially uniform cross section, either circular or square, and a shank tapered to the workengaging end, the two cross sectional dimensions of the 'tool for any particular cross section being usually the same. To facilitate holding the tool in the hand, the stem of the set or center punch is usually knurled.

Although nail sets and center punches constructed in the manner above described meet in a fairly satisfactory manner the most of the demands made upon such tools, it will, nevertheless, be obvious that, under certain conditions, as, for example, when the tool is not struck in a line along its axis or when it does not have a proper bearing upon the work, the set or punch is liable to skid either upon the work or in the hand of the operator, this skidding frequently causing the tool to be knocked out of the operators hand and lost. To the loss of the tool the shape of nail sets or ccu ter punches, as now usually constriu'ted, contributes, since they readily roll over inclined surfaces, as, for example, when a carpenter is working on the root of a building. Moreover, because of their relatively small transverse dimensions they readily become lost in kegs of nails or in dbris from building operations.

A particular object of the present invention is to improve the construction of nail sets and center punches and tools of this general type in order to overcome the difficulties above pointed out which are sometimes experienced in the use of nail. sets Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

Serial No. 520,215.

and center punches of the present usual constructions.

Other objects and important features of the invention will appear from the :t'ollowing description and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a nail set embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view looking from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view looking from the right in Fig. 1;

Fig. et is a section on the line t a of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the nail-engaging end of the nail set, and

Fig. 6 is a detail View illustrating the modification of the tool shown in Fig. 1. essential to make it into a center punch.

The illustrated tool may have a tapered shank 2 of-substantially ordinary construction, which may be provided with a concave end 4, as usual with nail sets, or with a steep conical point 6, such as used with center punches. The illustrated shank is also conical in form.

The illustrated tool has a stem 8, which is shown as square in cross section, the stem 8 having an end 10 adapted to be struck by a hammer to cause the work-engaging end of the tool to operate upon the work, the hardness of the respective ends of the tool being suitably tempered to their respective functions, as is usual in tools of this class.

Between the stem 8 and the shank 2 the illustrated nail set is provided with an enlargement 12 in one cross sectional dimension only of the tool, this enlargement being generally circular in outline. The principal purpose of this enlargement is to provide for opposed concavities let and 16 in the opposed enlarged faces to facilitate holding the tool between the thumb and an opposed finger of the hand of the operator, the concavities substantially fitting the thumb and tinger ends.

It will be obvious that the opposed concavities provide substantial bearing surfaces for the operator to grip the tool between the thumb and a finger of his hand, and that when thus gripped the tool is sufficiently supported against any tendency to turn about its longitudinal axis. In order to provide also for any tendency of the tool to skid across the work or to turn about an axis extending through the opposed thumb and fin-o ger, a squared opening 18 is provided through the enlarged part 12 of the tool, this squared opening preferably connecting the two concavities l4 and 16 and being arranged centrally with respect to these concavities.

Not only'does the squared opening 18 provide, in its edges which are engaged by the finger and thumb, for a support of the tool against a tendency to turn about the common axis of the concavities, but it is also prefer- ,ably formedof such dimensions that it may provide for other than the usual uses of the tool. For example, in the illustrated tool the squared opening 18 'is made of such dimensions that it will fit the squared end of an ordinary brace bit so that the tool may be used in connection with such a bitter boring holes in places where the ordinary bit brace to ,be struck to cause said work-engaging end to operate upon the work, said tool having between said ends opposed concavities to facilitate holding said tool between the thumb and a finger and having within one of said concavities means for preventing said tool from turning about an axis extending through said opposed thumb and finger.

2. A tool of the class described having a shank tapered to the work-engaging end of said tool and having its other end adapted to be struck to cause the work-engaging end to operate upon the work, said tool having an enlargement between its ends'providedwith opposed concavities to facilitate holding said tool betweenthe thumb and a fingerand having a squared opening therethrough connecting said concavities.

3. A tool of the class exemplified by nail sets and center punches, having a stem of substantially uniform cross section and a shank :tapered to the work-engaging end of said tool,said tool having between'said stem and said shank an enlargement in one cross sectional dimension only of said tool, said enlargement being provided with opposed concavities in its enlarged opposed faces to facilitate holding said tool between the thumb and a finger and having also a poly onal opening connecting said concavities.

Si ned at New York cit N. Y., this 5th day of December 1921.

' ALFRED HANLEYQ 

